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October 07, 2009

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Democrats are hoping a little-publicized vote on an amendment to a defense appropriations bill last night could cause several Senate Republicans some political heartburn next year.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) offered an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts to companies who prevent victims from filing lawsuits against sexual assault and harassment.

Franken proposed the amendment after hearing the story of Jamie Leigh Jones, who alleges that she was brutally raped while working a contractor for Halliburton/KBR in Iraq.

But Jones was unable to press charges in court because her defense contract stipulated that any such allegations can only be heard in private arbitration.

Franken’s amendment, which passed 68-30, received the support of 10 Republican senators. However, most Republicans opposed the amendment because it went against the wishes of the Defense Department, and argued it gave Congress too much influence in altering defense contracts.

Those concerns, however, are immaterial to Democratic strategists, who believe the vote will be politically costly to the two Republican senators facing competitive races – Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pounced after the vote, putting out a statement attacking Vitter “for choosing special interests over justice and the interests of the American taxpayers.”

And a senior Democratic strategist working on defeating Vitter told POLITICO that the vote will “very likely” come up in a campaign ad next year.

Republicans point out that the amendment was opposed by a host of business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and applies to a wide range of companies, including IBM and Boeing.

“This misleading, partisan attack makes clear yet again just how out of touch Democrats in Washington are with the serious issues facing average Americans," said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh.

"Our country is facing rising unemployment, a record federal debt and and more government spending than at any point in history. Yet, the Democrats are talking about Halliburton."

"Our country is facing rising unemployment, a record federal debt and and more government spending than at any point in history. Yet, Because of this the Democrats are talking about Halliburton because they've pilfered US coffers more than any single corporate entity every year since Dick and Rummy got in office

I am all about some Vitter hating but do we want to replace him with a Blue Dog (the declared candidate against him) who will pull the D caucus further to the right? I would personally rather have a back benched minority party Senator then a Blue Dog that will vote with corporations instead of his party (which admittedly has a record of also voting for corporations because we run jerks like blue dogs).

The Democratic challenger to Senator Vitter is my districts Congressman, "Chicken Charlie" Melancon (D-LA,3rd. Dist).
The only thing that saved Comrade Melancon from being Tarred & Feathered at our last Town Hall was the arrival of our Republican Sheriff, who has since promised that he will not interfear with the will of the people at the next Town Hall.
Senator Vitter has since held 19 Healthcare Town Halls. Melancon??? ZERO!!! Stick a fork in 'ol Charlie. Hes DONE!!!

Republicans think it is a-okay for Halliburton and their friends in the military industrial complex to rape women and store them in a shipping containers and deny them their rights. Not surprised at all. How is this a moral and Christian way to vote?